Chainsaw Repair

Looking for info on a 8500 Poulan. Guy came in the shop with 2 of them. He wants me to port one for him.

What makes them special? Poulan never sold in any numbers here.

The guy has 2 runners and 1 parts saw. He bought them new for next to nothing. They sat on a shelf at a hardware store for years.

I will ask him when he comes back in for the parts he ordered. He wants to have a saw that his boys can run in a small race.

Quote from: HolmenTree on May 03, 2012, 09:04:00 am

I may have my 1st Poulan next week if my brother decides to sell it. It's a 8500 he bought new in the mid 1980s. It has a working chainbrake [all saws sold in Canada since 1980 had to have chainbrakes, the Stihl 090 seemed to escape that for a few yrs]. This 8500 was the last "true Poulan" pro saw before Electrolux took over in '86. Poulan built a beautiful saw here, 85cc ,well balanced, fast and light. It competed with the Stihl 064 which came out in '86.

If any of you guys have never run a 8500, then you missed out experiencing a great saw.

Willard does this old true for your brothers 8500 up your way?     Poulan Lime Green and Black in U.S. and  Orange and Black in Canada?

I seen Mark's poulan 3000 that was orange and black that came from up north.

Sorry I missed this thread Kevin. My brothers 8500 is green / black.
 He told me he won't part with it, he says he still plans on racing it in the future, I told him he better hurray up because he 's now 64 yrs old.ha ha.
Ron Hartill 7 time world lumberjack champ had great success with his factory modified Poulan 8500 in the 1980s, full circle crank, cutoff head, kart carb, tune pipe etc. Ron was Poulan's PR rep, his son Dale also had great success with his own tune piped 8500 also. But as Ron once told me Dale was very quick in hand to eye, but some times his hands were a little too fast causing errors.

I have some old pics of them, I'll try and post later.